The Hunting Dog - Ally and Friend

It was a brilliant trick of our ancestors – about 20,000 years ago, it occurred to people to tame wolves. In time, people began to make use of the traits of the wolf species. The dog, as a pet, came from the wolf in the wild. And so began the fascinating story of the friendship between people and dogs.

The exhibition, "The Hunting Dog – Ally and Friend", explains how this close bonding between people and dogs emerged, which influence humankind has had on the evolution of the dog and how the partnership between dog and humans is lived out today in the hunt.

A dog has a much better sense of hearing and smell than humans have, but can a dog also see better? Directly experience the dog’s completely different world of senses!

How does an individual use the specific skills of a dog in hunting and what does a young dog have to learn before joining in the hunt?

In the late middle ages, Swiss hunting dogs were coveted, before political changes led to their near disappearance. When the authorities for the protection of deer forbade the use of big and fast running dogs, fancier bred a smaller version, the Small Swiss Hound.

Learn about the eventful history of the Swiss hunting breeds and see which dog breads were bred, trained and put to use for very specific types of hunting.

A brochure with explanations in English is available in the exhibition.